Package and dispenser



March 24, 1936. J. G. REA

PACKAGE AND DISPENSER Filed 001 12, 1935 NEYS i f m m 7 2 w WW m v M m 1 W WITNESSES fi- H (w,

Patented Mar. 24, 1936 UN IT ED: STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in packages, and: has particular relation to a combination: package and& automatic dispenser for cigarettesand the like which may be used either mesa commercial. package or as a container for cigarettes after they have been removed from their commercial: package.

Itis an objectofi the invention to provide an improved package for holding cigarettes which 101 will amply protect the cigarettes from being crushed or from excessive dehydration, and which: will also automatically dispense. the cigarettes when desired.

It is a further object toprovide an improved 15;: package of the above character which is so constructed that by a simple manipulation of the package, such as compressing the sides thereof, cigarettes may be. conveniently dispensed: from the package oneiat a time Without] being crushed or in any way mutilated.

My package consists generally of a receptacle and a dispenser secured adjacent to or formed integral with the receptacle, one of. the sides or a portion of one of the sides of the receptacle being: operatively" connected to the dispensing device andibeing shiftable from a normal position to a compressed position. so as to cause the operation; of the dispensing. device to eject a cigarette. The shiftable side of the receptacle is m. preferably formedtof a resilient'or springy material: so' as. to cause it to return to its normal position; after it has been compressed to oper ate the dispensing. device.

In the accompanying'drawing:

Fig.1: is'a perspective view of a package embodying my invention, inwhich one side of the package. has been 1 compressed to cause the. operation: of. the dispensing. device;

Fig..2"is' a side elevation. of a package of the 402 typeshownzin' Fig. I, with a portionzof' the side broken away to'reveali the contents thereof;

Fig: 3 is a sectionalv view in the direction of the arrowszonitheline 33 of Fig. 2;. and

Fig. 4' is a view similar'to Fig. 3,.with the side 45 o1 the. package compressed? to cause the operation: of the dispensing device.

My; package consists'of' a' receptacle, indicated generally at H]; for holding the cigarettes and a; dispensing device; indicated generally at H, 5m'formed at. the lower end of the receptacle for ejecting thecigarettes one at a time. The package shoulol be formed: of a relatively strong material for afiording: protection to the cigarettes, and. as the shiitable side of the package should 51 be. formed of' a resilient springy material, as will be later. explained; the entire package may: be. made of metaLxsuchi as decorated tinplate and the like as is now commonly used in tobacc and some cigarette packages.

The two ends of the package are providedwitlr ovalv portions. l2 forming 'the'ends of the recep tacle l0 and with rectangular portions I3 formed integral'with or secured to. the lower end ofthe oval portions, the rectangular portions serving as; theend walls for the dispensing devicet H. Between the two end walls l2 and extending from one side of the rectangular projection l3 completely around. the end walls to the other side of. the rectangular projection I3 is a. side member M; one portion of which preferably-exttendi'ngt over the topof the package, indicated" at I5, is secured at its two sides as by solder: or'welding t0 the end walls [2, and the other portion of which, it, is unfastened and free to" shift inwardly, as shown in Figs. 1 and l,.fromv a. normal position inengagement with: beads l1 formed alongthe periphery" oft the end'wall's' l2: throughout the extent of the free sectionz 1630f the wall.

The segment Hi of the side wall should be formed of a springy metal so as to'causethe wall to normall'y'rest' in engagement with the beads. l-l; .asshown-in Figs. 2 and 3, and so that itmay be compressed underpressure, as shown in Figs. 1 311(134, but will return to its normal position whenreleasedl The end Walls l2 and the side: wall l4 should be of suificient size and shape sothat the receptacle lfl'may conveniently holda plurality of cigarettes l8, as shown in thedrawing.

The dispensing unit I!- includes end walls formed by' the. substantially rectangular projections l3, and a bottom and one side wall I9" and 20, respectively, in the form of an angle strip connectedbetween one side andthe lower edgesof rectangular" projections 13; The verti cal' wall 20' should be disposed on the same side of the package as the shiftable portion of the Wall 5.. The dispensing unit should be of a size to receive as many cigarettes as it is desired'to dispense at one time, and since I prefer to dispense a single cigarette at a time, in the accompanying drawing the dispensing unithas been illustrated as being of a size of receivebut a single cigarette.

To cause the automatic operation of the dispensing unitby merely compressing the side l6 of the package, a vertically projecting strip or ejecting'member 2| is formed integral with the side [6 of the package and extends downwardly into the dispensing unit and normally rests against the inner surface of the vertical portion 20 thereof. A closure consisting of a vertical strip 22 of a sufiicient height to close the open side of the dispensing unit, and having formed at the upper end thereof an arc-shaped lip 23 for contacting the side of the package, is secured to the member 2| by means of horizontal strips 24 at the two ends thereof. Compression of the side l6 results in the lower end of member l6 closing the passage between receptacle ill and dispensing unit II and also causes closure 22 to open and the cigarette in the dispensing unit to be ejected by ejecting member 2|. The members l5 and I6 taper inwardly towards the dispensing unit and taper gradually outwardly away from the unit. Due to this structure the cigarettes in the package will not be crushed when the package is compressed to operate the dispensing unit but will be caused to readjust their positions in the package. It will be seen that at 15-0. the wall I5 is extended inwardly above the dispensing unit for a short distance so as to aid in separating the cigarette to be dispensed from the remaining cigarettes. The extension Iii-a should, however, leave suflicient space for a cigarette to pass from the receptacle to the dispenser when in normal position. A plurality of horizontal ribs 25 are preferably provided in the member Hi to facilitate gripping of the package and to reinforce the package and prevent distortion when it is compressed.

When the receptacle l 0 is filled with cigarettes and held in upright position, as shown in the drawing, one cigarette is caused to drop downwardly by gravity into the dispensing unit II. By simply gripping the package, as shown in Fig. 1, and compressing the side 'portion'lG, the cigarette disposed in the dispensing unit is ejected from the package, as shown in Figs. 1" and 4. By my construction only the desired number of cigarettes are dispensed due to the} fact that only one cigarette fits in the dispensing unit II, and when the side of the package is compressed to eject a cigarette the lower end of the portion I 6 of the package serves as a closure to prevent further cigarettes from entering the dispensing unit until the package has been released and has resumed its normal shape.

When the package is in normal position the portion l6 of the side, due to the resilience thereof, is in close engagement with the beads l1, and the closure 22 and the lip 23 tightly fit over the open side of the dispensing unit ll, thereby protecting the cigarettes from excessive dehydration. If desired, suitable lining material may be provided in the package to further prevent dehydration.

The package may be filled with cigarettes through the dispensing unit H or, if desired, a hinged opening may be provided at the top of the package for filling it with cigarettes. The filling of the package may, of course, be made a process continuous with the manufacture of the cigarettes by automatically disposing the empty packages in series at the point where cigarettes are discharged from the machines in which they are made. In this method, the dispensing device of the package would be disposed upwardly, and the filling would be in reverse of the method of dispensing a cigarette from the package. A simple reciprocal mechanism would operate the dispensing device in reverse direction as the cigarette was received into it from .the cigarette machine. A counting device would from their commercial packages.

shift the filled package and place another empty package in position to receive the cigarettes coming from the machine.

Another practical method would be to bunch the number of cigarettes the package is to contain and form the dispensing package around them as is now done with paper commercial packages of cigarettes.

It will be seen from the device herein described and illustrated that I have provided an improved cigarette package which will hold and protect cigarettes against crushing or excessive dehydration, and which will automatically dispense cigarettes as desired by the simple operation of compressing the side of the package. The package may be of inexpensive construction and used as a commercial package for cigarettes or may be of more elaborate construction and used for holding cigarettes after they have'been removed When used as a commercial package it is expected that in practice each dispensing package Will be marketed with a.cel1ophane or similar wrapper about it to be removed by the purchaser. If desired, a small fenestra or opening may be provided in the package and covered with a sheet of transparent material such as cellophane or glass. The opening may be provided in any convenient place such as the sides l2 so as to permit inspection of the contents of the package.

I claim:

1. A package or container comprising a receptacle for cigarettes having a shiftable side portion formed of resilient material so as to be shiftable from normal position under pressure, 5 a dispensing unit of a size to receive a cigarettev disposed adjacent and communicating with said receptacle and provided with an outlet of a size to permit the passage of a cigarette, and means including a shiftable closure for said outlet connected to said shiftable side portion and cooperable to cause'the ejection of a cigarette from said dispensing unit upon the shifting of said.

side member.

2. A package or container comprising a receptacle for cigarettes having an opening at its lower end of a size to permit the passage of a cigarette, and a shiftable side portion formed of resilient material and normally in position to leave said opening unobstructed but shiftable inwardly under pressure to close said opening,

a dispensing unit of a size to receive a cigarette secured to said receptacle and communicating with the outlet thereof and provided with a dispensing opening of a size to permit the passage of a cigarette, and means including a shiftable closure for said dispensing opening connected to said shiftable side portion and cooperable to cause the ejection of a cigarette from said dispensing unit when the side portion is shifted to close the opening in the receptacle.

3. A' package or container comprising a receptacle for cigarettes having an opening at its lower end of a size to permit the passage of a cigarette, and a shiftable side portion formed of resilient material and normally in position to leave said. opening unobstructed but shiftable inwardly under pressure to close said opening, a dispensing unit of a size to receive a cigarette secured to said receptacle and communicating with the outlet thereof and provided with a dispensing opening of a size to permit the passage of a cigarette, and means including a shiftable cigarette ejecting member and a shiftable closure for said dispensing opening cooperable 5. A package comprising a receptacle for cigarettes, and a dispensing unit secured to said receptacle and operable to dispense the cigarettes in said receptacle, said receptacle having side members tapering inwardly towards said! dispensing unit, and one of said side members being shiftable inwardly :Erom normal position under pressure and being formed of resilient material so as to return to normal position when released and having connection with said dis- 1o pensing unit so as to cause it to operate when i the side is compressed.

JOHN G. REA. 

